Amber by the Cards Design Diary, Part One: Power Nineteen
The introductions have been made. I've started gathering information about what people think makes ADRP cool (because I want to preserve as much of that as possible) and what makes it suck.
My primary goal is to get rid of two things; GM fiat and the attribute auction. As far as I know, few if any people use the auction, and the 'judicial' conflict resolution system depends so heavily on the skill and fairness of the gamemaster that it is, in my opinion, a liability. One of the design philosophies of this game is that 'system does matter'. You can learn the basics of that philosophy here. If you don't agree with it, we probably won't have much else to agree on. I've seen it in action and I'm impressed with the results.
One of the tools used to set out design goals and define what a game will look like is the "Power Nineteen." These are a set of questions designed to make the designer think about important questions. So here they are:
1.) What is your game about?**
Amber by the Cards is about the conflicts surrounding the most powerful family in the universe.
2.) What do the characters do?**
The characters struggle against each other and against mysterious forces from beyond their understanding, to define themselves, their relationships with each other, and defend those definitions.
3.) What do the players (including the GM if there is one) do?**
All but one of the players control the actions of one character, and possibly that character's friends and allies. The remaining player, named "Chaos", presents challenges to those characters, in the form of characters, monsters, organizations, and forces that oppose them.
4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
It's more that the game reinforces what the setting is about. This game takes one theme from the Amber novels (there are many) and places it center stage.
5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
In the process of creating characters, the players earn the right to describe the world that surrounds their characters. They give them backgrounds, homes, loves and hates. They define what the character cares about. The character creation process is both cooperative and competitive, because the players trade resources (in the form of cards out of a standard 54-card pack) with each other in order to create strengths and weaknesses, and to increase the uncertainty that other players have about the character's capabilities.
6.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
The game strongly encourages characters caring about things.
7.) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
The more a character cares about a person, place, or shadow, the more powerful it becomes, the more 'real'. A shadow or person that has only been described in passing can be picked up and remolded again by any player character, whereas those that have a long association with a character are more firmly under its control.
8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
The right to narrate is distributed to those who have control over a particular shadow, or who is taking action in a conflict, or who wins it.
9.) What does your game do to command the players' attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
Amber by the Cards asks players to create their character's world, at least in the small details. Where he lives, who he is, what he does, is all under the player's control.
10.) What are the resolution mechanics of your game like?
Each player (except Chaos) has a single deck of cards that represent that character's resources, in terms of attributes (warfare, psyche, endurance, strength) allies (sisters, parentage, etc.) and in terms of powers (pattern, sorcery, artifacts). In the course of resolving a conflict, they play those cards, in an attempt to force their opponent to choose between spending more resources than they are willing to spend, or admitting the stakes of the conflict.
11.) How do the resolution mechanics reinforce what your game is about?
Players engage in conflicts in order to defend the people, places and things they care about, to create or acquire more, or to threaten those of others.
12.) Do characters in your game advance? If so, how?
Characters advance by seeking out challenges posed by the Chaos player. When such a challenge is defeated, the character earns another card for his deck. These challenges can be quick and easy, or they can be long-term and highly rewarding.
13.) How does the character advancement (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
Players engage in conflicts in order to defend the people, places and things they care about, to create or acquire more, or to threaten those of others. (This one's easy, since the advancement mechanic is tied to the conflict mechanic)
14.) What sort of product or effect do you want your game to produce in or for the players?
I want Amber by the Cards to produce powerful statements about the nature of reality, the importance of family,
15.) What areas of your game receive extra attention and color? Why?
Relationships play a big part of Amber by the Cards.
16.) Which part of your game are you most excited about or interested in? Why?
It may very well be that this game is ideally suited to LARP play, possibly even a coordinated LARP community.
17.) Where does your game take the players that other games can’t, don’t, or won’t?
Hey, GMless, competitive Amber. That's untrodden ground.
18.) What are your publishing goals for your game?
My goals are incremental. First, I wish to distribute the game informally, via PDF. I hope to get enough attention going to be able to swing a deal with Erick for the rights to publish.
19.) Who is your target audience?
Indie gamers dissatisfied with ADRP, and Amber fans who wish to break out of the GM-moderated mode.
My next post will be an outline.
My primary goal is to get rid of two things; GM fiat and the attribute auction. As far as I know, few if any people use the auction, and the 'judicial' conflict resolution system depends so heavily on the skill and fairness of the gamemaster that it is, in my opinion, a liability. One of the design philosophies of this game is that 'system does matter'. You can learn the basics of that philosophy here. If you don't agree with it, we probably won't have much else to agree on. I've seen it in action and I'm impressed with the results.
One of the tools used to set out design goals and define what a game will look like is the "Power Nineteen." These are a set of questions designed to make the designer think about important questions. So here they are:
1.) What is your game about?**
Amber by the Cards is about the conflicts surrounding the most powerful family in the universe.
2.) What do the characters do?**
The characters struggle against each other and against mysterious forces from beyond their understanding, to define themselves, their relationships with each other, and defend those definitions.
3.) What do the players (including the GM if there is one) do?**
All but one of the players control the actions of one character, and possibly that character's friends and allies. The remaining player, named "Chaos", presents challenges to those characters, in the form of characters, monsters, organizations, and forces that oppose them.
4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
It's more that the game reinforces what the setting is about. This game takes one theme from the Amber novels (there are many) and places it center stage.
5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
In the process of creating characters, the players earn the right to describe the world that surrounds their characters. They give them backgrounds, homes, loves and hates. They define what the character cares about. The character creation process is both cooperative and competitive, because the players trade resources (in the form of cards out of a standard 54-card pack) with each other in order to create strengths and weaknesses, and to increase the uncertainty that other players have about the character's capabilities.
6.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
The game strongly encourages characters caring about things.
7.) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
The more a character cares about a person, place, or shadow, the more powerful it becomes, the more 'real'. A shadow or person that has only been described in passing can be picked up and remolded again by any player character, whereas those that have a long association with a character are more firmly under its control.
8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
The right to narrate is distributed to those who have control over a particular shadow, or who is taking action in a conflict, or who wins it.
9.) What does your game do to command the players' attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
Amber by the Cards asks players to create their character's world, at least in the small details. Where he lives, who he is, what he does, is all under the player's control.
10.) What are the resolution mechanics of your game like?
Each player (except Chaos) has a single deck of cards that represent that character's resources, in terms of attributes (warfare, psyche, endurance, strength) allies (sisters, parentage, etc.) and in terms of powers (pattern, sorcery, artifacts). In the course of resolving a conflict, they play those cards, in an attempt to force their opponent to choose between spending more resources than they are willing to spend, or admitting the stakes of the conflict.
11.) How do the resolution mechanics reinforce what your game is about?
Players engage in conflicts in order to defend the people, places and things they care about, to create or acquire more, or to threaten those of others.
12.) Do characters in your game advance? If so, how?
Characters advance by seeking out challenges posed by the Chaos player. When such a challenge is defeated, the character earns another card for his deck. These challenges can be quick and easy, or they can be long-term and highly rewarding.
13.) How does the character advancement (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
Players engage in conflicts in order to defend the people, places and things they care about, to create or acquire more, or to threaten those of others. (This one's easy, since the advancement mechanic is tied to the conflict mechanic)
14.) What sort of product or effect do you want your game to produce in or for the players?
I want Amber by the Cards to produce powerful statements about the nature of reality, the importance of family,
15.) What areas of your game receive extra attention and color? Why?
Relationships play a big part of Amber by the Cards.
16.) Which part of your game are you most excited about or interested in? Why?
It may very well be that this game is ideally suited to LARP play, possibly even a coordinated LARP community.
17.) Where does your game take the players that other games can’t, don’t, or won’t?
Hey, GMless, competitive Amber. That's untrodden ground.
18.) What are your publishing goals for your game?
My goals are incremental. First, I wish to distribute the game informally, via PDF. I hope to get enough attention going to be able to swing a deal with Erick for the rights to publish.
19.) Who is your target audience?
Indie gamers dissatisfied with ADRP, and Amber fans who wish to break out of the GM-moderated mode.
My next post will be an outline.